About me

I'm a 42 year old System Administrator living in Salt Lake City, Utah USA, with my wife and son. I currently work for the University of Utah Marriott Library as an IT Manager. I have worked in academic computing for over 20 year using a variety of computer technologies including Linux.

Linux & Open Source

I started using Linux in 1998. I needed to replace a aging Sun server running my department's web server. Having a limited budget, I installed RedHat 5.1 on a i386 computer I built from extra parts I had. It was perfect solution. I continue to find new uses for Linux in my job.

In 2001, I took and passed the RedHat Certified Engineer exam.

Ubuntu

I started using Ubuntu in 2004, when I could not get a new sound card and Ethernet card to work under Fedora Core 3. I heard about Ubuntu listening to the LUGRadio podcast. I decided to try it, and sure enough everything just worked. After that I learned more about the Ubuntu community and decided it was the place for me.

Why I use Open Source software

I use Open Source software for the freedom it gives you. The freedom to make my computer look the way I what, play music the way I want, connect to the web the way I want etc... But this freedom should be a choice and not an edict. Users should never be harassed to only user Free Software or completely open technology. A person should be allowed to find the technology that work best for him/her, even if it not "open". As advocates of Open Source, we should present the positives of using open technologies without bashing individual or organizations. We should also cheer, support, and promote when a individual or company embraces the spirit of open source by releasing source code, removing DRM, etc...

I'm also excited by the on how governance works in Open Source projects. In Ubuntu, people have some say in the direction of Ubuntu. People can attend open meetings in IRC for different Ubuntu teams. They can work at becoming an Ubuntu Member or Ubuntu Core Developer and vote on the composition of the Ubuntu Community Council and Ubuntu Tech Board. This is so different than propriety world where you can get sue just for a rumor.

From Art of Community, page 212: "What excites me about the community governance is the sense that Ubuntu is a community of thousands of people from every country, race, sex, and religion who have got together and said "we want computing to be this way." Linux and Open Source have enabled this as opposed to what Microsoft or Apple tell you. It is the sense that our community’s governance is open and anyone who wants to contribute can and has a say in the direction of Ubuntu. It is that the community’s main focus is to help each other, be that is to write code, create documentation, or answer questions from our users."

Contributions to Ubuntu and Open Source Projects

• I'm an administrator and member of the Forums Council on the Ubuntu Forums.

• I'm a member of the Ubuntu Community Council.

• I'm a member of the Americans Membership Board for Ubuntu

• I currently write the Q&A column for Ubuntu User magazine.

• I was interviewed for The Art of Community by Jono Bacon (see Chapter 8: Governance)

• Interview on the Ubuntu UK Podcast, Fresh Ubuntu Podcast, and Ubuntu Channel on YouTube

• Did tech review of the Practical Guide to Ubuntu and A Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming.

• I have attended multiple Ubuntu Developer Summits.
• I have made packages for Ubuntu as a member of the Ubuntu Backports Team.

• I'm the team contact for the Ubuntu-Utah LoCo Team.

Patches accepted in Ubuntu

• Submitted accepted patch to fix LP #321176

Plans for Ubuntu

• I would like to see more communication between the Ubuntu Forums and other Ubuntu Teams, especially the Launchpad team and Ubuntu software development teams.
• I would like to do more with packaging, maybe getting good enough to apply to be a MOTU.
• Would like to write more on Ubuntu, or maybe do a weekly podcast.